WASHINGTON, Pa. (March 25) – The California (PA) baseball team tied the score on an inside-the-park homer in the seventh inning after trailing by five runs earlier on Tuesday afternoon before dropping a 7-6 contest against Point Park in non-conference play at EQT Park.
NOTES
• The Vulcans (15-3) suffered their first loss since March 6, snapping a 10-game winning streak.
• Cal also was dealt its first home loss this season while facing its fourth different MEC opponent.
• The Pioneers are first-year members of the MEC after winning a combined 150 games the previous four seasons while a NAIA program.
• Senior second baseman
Santino Marra tallied three hits, including a two-run homer, and four RBI.
• The Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the first on a two-out RBI single by Marra before the Pioneers scored four runs in the second after capitalizing on a pair of errors.
• Point Park added two runs in the third before Cal cut the deficit to 6-3 in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles by senior first baseman
Payton Conte and Marra.
• Senior third baseman
Nathan Meeks belted a solo homer to start the bottom of the sixth.
• The Vulcans tied the score at 6-6 in the seventh when Marra raced around the bases for a two-run, inside-the-park homer with two outs after the Pioneer outfielder lost the ball in sky.
• Point Park reclaimed the lead with two outs in the eighth when center fielder Jared Campbell blasted a solo homer, his 10th of the season – the most in the Atlantic Region.
• The Vulcans stranded the game-tying run in scoring position in each of the last two innings on Tuesday.
• Sophomore
Josh Bryson (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing one run (earned) in 1.0 inning of relief.
• Classmates
Beau Bigam and
Ryan Sluk combined for seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings against Point Park.
• The Washington Wild Things announced the new name of the recently renovated facility as EQT Park (formerly Wild Things Park) on Tuesday morning.
NEXT
• Cal returns to PSAC West action this weekend with a four-game series against Gannon, beginning with a doubleheader in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday, March 28, at 1 p.m.
